In the opening to the 2009 film that had everybody bawling, UP, a widower is left to care for his little house in the midst of a world that wants it bulldozed.
We all know that in reality, it’s the ladies who are the true survivors. Edith Macefield watched boutiques and condos swiftly invade her neighborhood of Ballard in Seattle, WA. However, when a monstrous mall planned to start construction right on top of her own home, the 84-year-old put her foot down.
Above: Edith in younger, jazzier days.
Developers offered Edith a cool $1M for her land, but when she refused, they were forced to construct the edifice around her modest two-story home.
Sadly, this modern-day folk hero is no longer with us. Edith passed away three years later at the age of 87, but her act of defiance is both a legacy and a reminder that we can always refuse what is expected of us to fight the status quo — as long as we stick to our principles. For example, Edith ended up leaving her house to construction chief Barry Martin, who cared for her and drove her to the hospital after her pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
You never know. If you stick to your guns, maybe instead of yet another mega-mall in North America, you’ll get a public square in your honor. The house still stands as a steadfast memorial to Edith’s unwavering integrity.
